Calcutta HC to Hear Pleas Regarding Alleged Illegal Detention of Bengal Migrant Workers Tomorrow

PTI, Kolkata, July 14, 2025 : The Calcutta High Court has announced that it will hear two habeas corpus petitions on July 16, which allege the illegal detention of migrant workers from West Bengal in Odisha and Delhi. The petitions concern migrant workers who are said to have been unlawfully confined in these regions, with one of the cases involving workers from Odisha.

However, during a virtual hearing, one of the lawyers representing the petitioners informed the court that two migrant workers—Sainur Islam and Rakibul Islam—had already returned to their homes from Odisha, reducing the scope of the matter. A division bench, headed by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, confirmed that the issue would be addressed on July 16, alongside similar petitions concerning alleged illegal detentions of Bengal migrant workers in Delhi.

The division bench, which also includes Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra, instructed the lawyer to focus his arguments solely on the case of his clients—Sainur Islam and Rakibul Islam—following claims that several other migrant workers from West Bengal were being detained in Odisha.

The relatives of the two migrant workers have alleged in separate petitions that the men were illegally detained by Odisha Police in Jagatsinghpur district. On July 11, the bench had directed the Odisha government to provide relevant documents confirming whether the two individuals were detained or are missing. The court also ordered the West Bengal Chief Secretary to liaise with his Odisha counterpart to ensure the required documents are presented before the court at the next hearing.

In a related development, the Calcutta High Court, on July 14, also took up habeas corpus petitions concerning the alleged illegal detention of migrant workers from West Bengal in Delhi. The court had previously directed the Delhi administration on July 11 to clarify whether the workers are being held in detention.

A habeas corpus petition is a legal remedy that seeks a court order to produce a person who is either missing or has been illegally detained.